Snowflake Bentley

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, illustrated by Mary Azarian

From the time he was a small boy, Wilson Bentley saw snowflakes as small miracles. And he determined that one day his camera would capture for others the wonder of the tiny crystal.

Bentley's enthusiasm for photographing snowflakes was often misunderstood in his time, but his patience and determination revealed two important truths: no two snowflakes are alike; and each one is startlingly beautiful.

His story is gracefully told and brought to life in lovely woodcuts, giving children insight into a soul who had not only a scientist's vision and perseverance but a clear passion for the wonders of nature.

"Of all the forms of water the tiny six-pointed crystals of ice called snow are incomparably the most beautiful and varied." — Wilson Bentley

Book Details:

• Number of Pages: 32
• Book Size: 10" x 10"
• Book Type: Hardcover, Reinforced Binding
• Recommended Ages: 5 and up
• ISBN 10: 0395861624
• ISBN 13: 9780395861622

Awards:

• 1999 Caldecott Medal
• 1999 ALA Notable Book for Children Booklist Editors' Choice
• 1999 Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books — Blue Ribbon Winner
• 1998 Caldecott Medal Book
• 1999 Parents' Choice Award
• 1999 New York Public Library, 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
• 1999 Parents' Choice Recommended Winner
• 2000 Kansas State Reading Circle Recommendation
• 2000 Not Just For Children Anymore! Selection (CBC)

"A warm period look at a cold subject - snow - and one self-made scientist, Wilson A. Bentley, affectionately know as Snowflake. . . . The book exhibits a beautiful blend of Azarian's splendid woodcuts, a lyrical text, and factual sidebars. Bentley's dedication to his research is clearly evident, and the ridicule to which he was sometimes subjected is appropriately downplayed for a young audience. The illustrations, tinted with watercolors, depict the people, homes, meadows, and woods of turn-of-the-century Vermont countryside in accurate detail. Sources for the factual material are credited, and a final page features photographs of Bentley at work and three of his actual snowflake slides." — Horn Book

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This is an excellent book to inspire children to follow their passions.